9 Consuming energy resources Flashcards
What are the main categories of energy resources?
- Renewable
- Non-renewable
- Recyclable
What is a non-renewable energy resource?
Finite resources: once used up, they cannot be replaced
What is a renewable energy resource?
Infinite resources: they will never run out
What is a recyclable energy resource?
Energy sources that can be reused
Examples of non-renewable energy resources
- fossil fuels
- coal
- oil
- gas
Examples of renewable energy resources
- wind power
- solar power
- hydroelectric power
Examples of recyclable energy resources
- nuclear
- biofuel
Impacts of energy production (both renewable and non-renewable)
- Wind turbines/solar panels can look out of place
- HEP often requires large areas of forest to be cleared
- Oil drilling can result in oil spills
- Open cast mining uses huge amounts of water
What does access to energy resources depend on?
- Technology
- Accessibility`
Why has global energy use increased recently?
Rapid development of emerging economies.
How is energy unevenly distributed?
- Developing countries (e.g. Malawi) have mainly primary economies, using only a small amount of energy, mostly at home. Many developing countries suffer from energy poverty, lacking electricity or money to pay for it, collecting fuelwood as an alternative.
- Newly industrialising or emerging economies (e.g. India) use large amounts of energy for manufacturing (coal)
- People in developed countries consume more products, increasing the demand for energy (gas and oil). However, with these products made elsewhere, carbon footprints have sometimes declined
What factors is the global oil price based on?
- Demand (high demand causes prices to rise)
- Supply (too much oil and price falls)
- Political decisions (countries can increase supply to increase income and gain control of markets)
- New supplies (fracking in the USA has caused oversupply and prices have fallen)
How can we now exploit new areas for energy resources?
- High profits and new technology (drilling, seismic imaging and
liquefaction) have enabled oil and gas companies to drill in regions previously too expensive or difficult to access. - The Arctic has up 25% of the world’s remaining oil and gas and is therefore at risk
from exploitation.
What is the problem with using tar sands to produce energy?
- Using tar sands to produce oil and gas is unconventional (it
is different from how they are usually produced) - There are also environmental issues with all unconventional sources such as tar sands oil extraction, including
the use of large quantities of energy and water. - Shale gas and tar sands oil extraction is only possible because of technological
improvements, and high energy prices.
Why are we aiming to reduce fossil fuel usage?
Fossil fuel use contributes to world’s carbon footprint
How can we reduce fossil fuel usage?
Energy efficiency and conservation measures can cut the amount of energy used:
- at home: e.g. solar water heating and energy efficient lights
- Transport technology: hybrid buses can play a part in reducing
the amount of energy used.
How can we meet global energy demands?
Energy diversification: including the use of;
- HEP
- biofuels
- solar energy
- hydrogen technology (cars)
What are the possibilities for the future of global energy use?
- Business: assumes that the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels
- A sustainable future: renewables are adopted to reduce CO2 emissions
What are peoples views about energy futures?
Different groups have different views about energy futures:
- Energy companies want to provide energy
- Climatologists believe
that the current energy mix is not sustainable enough and is leading to rapid climate change.
- Governments will want to tackle climate change but keep bills low for customers.
- Consumers will
want low bills, but most are concerned about climate change.
Why is education essential to the future of the planet?
- teach more about sustainability, focussing on local actions people can take
- change attitudes to climate change (e.g. promote recycling)
